JP2011007706A - Route search method, and navigation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a route search method and navigation apparatus, capable of providing a route giving a benefit on a cost-effectiveness point of view because of a toll and a time period to be reduced in relation to use of a toll road and traveling on a general road.SOLUTION: A route search means in consideration of toll cost includes: a toll road/time rate calculation means that calculates out a toll rate with respect to a time period of a toll road based on an expected average speed on a toll road and an expected average speed on a general road; and a plural-toll cost adding means that calculates out link cost of a toll road based on at least a toll calculation rule or a toll table for a toll road, calculates out link hourly rate exchange cost and fuel cost based on a link traveling time period, and calculates out link toll cost by synthesizing the link cost, the link hourly rate exchange cost and the link fuel cost.

Description

  The present invention relates to a navigation system, and more particularly to a system for searching for a route of a vehicle using an in-vehicle terminal.

  In navigation devices, it is widely known that a route search is performed using a plurality of search conditions. In particular, in consideration of a toll road fee, a fuel fee, etc., this fee is set to a road link (the section constituting the road network). Express the route search cost (which is a numerical value required to pass through the link, and distance, time, fee, etc. are used, and the sum is the evaluation value when calculating the optimal solution) Is present.

  At this time, if a route that simply minimizes the toll is calculated, a route that simply avoids the toll road is calculated, and this is not necessarily a desirable route for the user in terms of cost effectiveness. On the other hand, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-82884, the total of the travel time and toll road charge of the route searched with priority on general roads, and the total of the travel time and toll road charge of the route searched with priority on toll roads. Calculate the charge per unit time by dividing the toll road use time and the toll road charge by the shorten time, and the charge per unit time exceeds the preset charge threshold per unit time. A navigation device is disclosed that displays whether or not a general road priority route is displayed when the charge per unit time is larger than the threshold, and displays a toll road priority route when the fee is smaller. As described above, a threshold value is set in advance as a guideline for determining whether the cost effectiveness in using toll roads is good or bad, so that a route desirable for the cost effectiveness can be presented to the user.

  Further, there is a fuel cost as a cost directly required for traveling, and a fuel consumption model of Oguchi et al. Is known as a formula for calculating the fuel cost.

JP 2008-82884 A

Takashi Oguchi et al .: "Carbon dioxide emissions model for urban road traffic", Proceedings of Japan Society of Civil Engineers, No. 695 / IV-54 pp.125-136 (2002)

  However, it is complicated for the user to set a charge per unit time, and it is also difficult to determine whether the set value is appropriate before traveling. For example, in a case where a toll road is used when it is desired to go to a remote place, it is difficult for the user to appropriately set a toll threshold per unit time. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-82884 discloses a method of updating this threshold based on a past designated route. However, if an appropriate route cannot be selected at the initial stage, it is possible to set an appropriate threshold after the next time. Have difficulty.

  In addition, when comparing toll priority routes and general priority routes using thresholds, only the route calculated by the existing cost calculation method is evaluated, and the route search is not performed based on the new cost calculation method. Absent. That is, it is difficult to present another route different from the pay priority route and the general priority route as the route search result.

  The present invention provides a route search method and a navigation device that solves the problem of presenting a route search result that is desirable in terms of cost-effectiveness that is difficult for a user to set an appropriate charge threshold and that is different from a paid priority route and a general priority route. Is.

  In the present invention, the toll road charge / time unit price when using the toll road is calculated from the expected average speed of the toll road, the expected average speed of the general road, and the toll unit price of the toll road. Calculate the hourly wage converted unit price as the unit price determined as the corresponding hourly wage, calculate the link cost cost of the toll road based on at least one of the fee calculation rule or toll road fee DB, and calculate the link hourly wage conversion cost from the link travel time and hourly wage converted unit price And a route search method for calculating a total link fee cost obtained by adding at least the link cost cost and the hourly wage conversion cost and performing a route search using this.

  In the present invention, the charge rule for updating the charge calculation rule is updated based on information from the outside, the link cost cost of the toll road is calculated based on the updated charge calculation rule, and at least the real-time traffic information or the link speed database Calculate link travel time based on one side, calculate link hourly wage conversion cost from link travel time and hourly wage conversion unit cost, calculate link fee cost by adding link cost cost, link hourly wage conversion cost and fuel cost per link, Provided is a route search method for performing route search.

  Furthermore, the present invention provides a navigation device including route search means for performing route search processing using the link fee cost calculated using the route search method.

  Hourly wage conversion that can be calculated from the charges generated for driving on general roads by driving on toll roads and the expected shortened time calculated from the expected average speed of each toll road and general road, without forcing users to make complicated settings When the unit price (a fee that is virtually generated for the required time) is calculated, and the toll road usage fee is lower than the difference between the hourly wage conversion cost of the general road and the toll road calculated from the link travel time and hourly wage conversion unit price Is defined as “deal”, and if it is “deal”, a route search method and a navigation device that provide a route to use a toll road for each section when it is not “deal” are realized it can. In addition, if the toll road charge system changes in the middle and the high-speed toll in the section with a high discount rate is “discount”, but the high-speed toll in the section with a low discount rate is not “discount”, the discount rate It is possible to present a route search result that uses only a high “deal” section. In addition, it is possible to realize a navigation device that presents a route combining a toll road and a general road, and clearly indicates a “deal” section.

It is a block diagram of the route search part using this invention. It is principle explanatory drawing of the route search cost determination method in this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of a distance and a collection table. It is a flowchart of a toll road time unit price calculation process. It is a flowchart of hourly wage conversion unit price calculation processing. It is a flowchart of a link charge cost calculation process. It is a block diagram of the deformation | transformation of the route search part using this invention. It is a flowchart of a charge rule update process. It is a flowchart of a link charge cost calculation process. It is a figure which shows the example of link speed DB classified by time slot | zone. It is a figure of the navigation apparatus using this invention. It is a screen transition diagram at the time of route search. It is a setting change screen. It is principle explanatory drawing of the route search cost determination method when there is a charge discount. It is a figure which shows the example of a charge rule profile. It is a flowchart of the calculation process of the distance unit price of a toll road. It is a flowchart of the calculation process of the time unit price of a toll road. It is a figure which shows the example of link charge cost calculation. It is a flowchart of a route search process. It is a figure which shows the data structure of the node data which comprises the node group used by a route search. It is a figure showing the navigation apparatus and peripheral system which connect to the center using this invention by communication.

  Embodiments of a route search method and a navigation device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a route search unit 100 in a route search device using the present invention. The route search unit 100 receives input of a departure place and a destination and outputs a route search result using the route search cost determination method according to the present invention. The toll cost utilization route search means 104 increases the required time by using the network map DB 111 (including node and link connection relation and link attribute information used for route search) for the input of the departure place and the destination. This is a means for obtaining a route search result that takes into consideration that the virtual hourly wage charge that accompanies the above is also reflected in the cost of the route search.

  The toll road-to-hour unit price calculation means 101 stores the average speed expected for driving on toll roads, the average speed expected for driving on ordinary roads, and the distance between toll road charges stored in the set value storage unit 110. From the unit price, the unit price for the time when using the toll road used when determining whether to use the toll road is calculated.

  Here, the average speed expected for traveling on the road is referred to as an expected average speed. The expected average speed differs for each region or road calculated from a setting value designated by the user via a setting screen by the setting input unit 113, which will be described later, a regulated speed such as a speed limit, a running record, or past traffic information. Give one of the speeds. The expected average speed is used to estimate the required time for the estimated total travel distance before searching for the actual route, so it is not necessary to refer to individual road links. It may be determined as a value. For example, when it is determined most coarsely, it is determined separately for a toll road and a general road, and when it is determined finely, it may be determined for each toll road and general road in a map mesh unit or each map mesh. When using the travel record as the expected average speed, each average speed when traveling on a toll road or a general road in the past is used. Even in this case, when finely classifying, map mesh units (average speed of road links for each map mesh) are used. In this embodiment, the road is divided into a toll road and a general road, and the average speed expected for toll road travel (expected average toll road speed) and the average speed for general road travel (general road expected average speed). ) Is stored in the set value storage unit 110.

  The per-distance unit price of the toll road fee is a unit price for the distance for calculating the usage fee corresponding to the travel distance of the toll road. As this value, a charge rule determined by a toll road is used, or based on the charge table information of each toll road stored in the toll road toll DB 105, it is determined in advance from the charge between toll gates for each region or for each road. It may be calculated. If there is a rule for decreasing the distance (the unit price decreases according to the distance) as a rate rule, the normal unit distance to distance that does not apply the distance decrease rule, the threshold distance at which the distance decreases, and the unit price at the time of decrease Have it as a unit for distance.

  The expected average speed of the toll road, the expected average speed of the general road, and the distance unit price of the toll road charge are values set in advance before the route search. In this embodiment, these values are a hard disk device, a non-volatile memory, etc. It is assumed that it is stored in the set value storage unit 110 constituted by a rewritable storage medium.

  The hourly wage conversion unit price calculation means 102 uses the toll road unit price calculated by the toll road vs. hour unit price calculation means 101 to increase the required time when driving on a general road compared to when driving on a toll road. A unit price per hour (hereinafter referred to as hourly wage conversion unit price) is calculated for converting the minutes into virtual charges as hourly wages for the time increase required for traveling.

  The link unit processing unit 106 is a unit that performs link unit processing in the route search processing. Here, a minimum cost solution method such as the Dijkstra method is used as a general route search process, and the link fee cost is added for each link between the input origin and destination, and the link that minimizes the total is calculated. A column is calculated as a search result. The link fee cost to be added is calculated by the link cost cost calculating unit 107, the link hourly wage conversion cost calculating unit 108, and the plural fee cost adding unit 103.

  The link cost cost calculation means 107 calculates a link cost cost corresponding to a toll road fee for each link based on a toll road fee calculation rule including information such as a discount rate stored in the toll road fee DB 105. The link hourly wage conversion cost calculation means 108 calculates the link hourly wage conversion cost from the link travel time and the hourly wage conversion unit price obtained by the hourly wage conversion unit price calculation means 102. The link travel time is the required time cost of each link included in the network map DB, the required time of the link obtained from the link length using the expected average speed as an approximate value of the vehicle speed, or distributed from the outside as described later Traffic information may be used. The multiple fee cost adding means 103 is a link cost cost obtained by the link cost cost calculating means 107, a link hourly hourly converted cost for the link obtained by the link hourly hourly converted cost calculating means 108, and a fuel cost consumed for traveling the vehicle. The link fee cost is calculated by adding the three fee costs.

  The search result output means 109 outputs the link sequence of the minimum cost route obtained by the route search using the link fee cost as the route search result.

  The minimum fee cost route calculated by the configuration of FIG. 1 uses the concept of a virtual hourly wage conversion cost that does not actually incur costs based on the hourly wage conversion unit price described above, and thus the actual fee of the calculated route It is not the minimum solution of the total value of the toll road fee and fuel cost, which is the cost, but it is the minimum solution that includes the time required for traveling converted into money. Therefore, it is a route (hereinafter referred to as an economy route) that gives the user a “deal” feeling in consideration of the fee and time.

  First, an outline of a process for calculating an economy route with the configuration of FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 14, and details of each process will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6.

  FIG. 2 (b) shows changes in toll road charges, hourly wage conversion costs, and fuel costs with respect to the time of all routes from a certain departure point to the destination. In FIG. 2 (b), the vertical axis represents the toll and the horizontal axis the travel time required from the departure point to the destination (the time required from the departure point to the destination. Including but not including breaks). For simplicity in the description of FIGS. 2 and 14, the toll road and the general road are completely parallel from the departure point to the destination as shown in FIG. 2 (a), and getting on and off is at any point on the toll road. Consider the path when it is assumed that it can be done freely. In FIG. 2B, the fastest toll road graph corresponds to the case where the all-line toll road is used, and the fastest general road corresponds to the case where the optimal route of only the general road is used. The state in which the travel time is longer than the fastest state on a general road corresponds to the case where the vehicle travels in a section that uses a general road.

  A chart 201 represents the toll road fee, hourly wage conversion cost, and fuel cost, respectively. Line 203 represents a change in toll road fee with respect to time, line 204 represents a change in fuel cost with time, and line 205 represents Represents the cumulative hourly wage conversion cost. In the chart 201, the line 203, 204, 205 representing the toll road charges, fuel costs, and hourly wage conversion costs, the minimum fee when the respective toll costs are individually used in the portions where the tolls are minimum. The cost becomes a cost, and the solution that minimizes the charge is obtained by the method of searching the minimum space. In other words, the minimum fee solution in the characteristic space shown in the chart 201 can be obtained as the minimum fee cost route by using the Dijkstra method, which is a minimum cost solution search algorithm used in actual route search.

Next, features on the chart 201 for each charge cost will be described. The toll road fee 203 is a toll cost determined according to the section length between the toll road and the general road use section. In a normal case, the longer the toll road use section, the higher the speed of travel and the shorter the travel time, so that the chart 201 can be shown with a negative slope. The magnitude of the slope can be estimated as follows. The distance from the departure point to the destination (distance when traveling on the road) is D, and the toll road use section is D1 and the general road use section is D2. At this time, it is assumed that the toll road and the general road are completely parallel as shown in FIG.
D = D1 + D2 (Formula 1)
And can be put. Here, assuming that the traveling speed of the toll road is constant V1 and the traveling speed of the general road is constant V2, the required time T can be calculated by the following equation.

    T = D1 / V1 + D2 ÷ V2 (Formula 2)

  When Formula 1 and Formula 2 are modified and the usage section D1 of the toll road is solved, the following formula is obtained.

    D1 = V1 * V2 / (V1-V2) * (D / V2-T) (Formula 3)

  At this time, the toll road fee is actually proportional to the distance diminishing system and does not necessarily decrease according to the distance, but the tendency for the toll to increase as the distance increases can be approximated. Therefore, when the unit price for the toll road usage distance is simply expressed, if the distance unit price of the toll road is α, the change in the toll road fee is expressed by α * D1. Therefore, the slope Ct of the charge with respect to the required time T is as follows using Equation 3.

    Ct = −α × V1 × V2 ÷ (V1−V2) (Formula 4)

  Since the traveling speed V1 of the normal toll road> the traveling speed V2 of the general road, the slope Ct of the charge with respect to the travel time is negative. For example, if V1 = 90 [km / hour], V2 = 30 [km / hour], and α = 30 [yen / km] (= approximate value of Japan's expressway toll), Ct = −1350 [yen / hour] ].

By multiplying both sides of Equation 3 by α, the toll road fee 203 of the chart 201 is obtained by using Equation 4 to change the toll road fee = α × D1 = Ct × T + α × V1 ÷ (V1−V2) × D
... (Formula 5)
The toll road fare can be approximated as a linear function having a negative slope with respect to the travel time T. According to the assumption shown in FIG. 2 (a), the time is the shortest (= fastest) when all the toll roads are used, and when all the general roads are used to reach the destination in parallel with the toll road (= D1 = 0 and toll road charge = 0 for the general road fastest. Under this assumption, there is no general road other than parallel to the toll road, but in reality, a route detouring on the general road is conceivable. At this time, since the speed of the general road assumes that V2 is constant, the detour route is a region of travel time in which the travel time is larger than the fastest speed of the general road. The toll road charge at this time is zero.

  On the other hand, change in the fuel cost 204 with respect to time is considered. The fuel cost calculation formula can be expressed by the following formula using the fuel consumption model of Oguchi et al.

Fuel consumption = Fc x T + Cf x D + Air resistance + Altitude change + Speed change
... (Formula 6)

  In Equation 6, Fc represents fuel consumption per time, and Cf represents a fuel consumption coefficient per distance due to friction or the like. In Equation 6, the first term is a term proportional to the travel time, the second term is a term proportional to the travel distance, the third term is the air resistance, the fourth term is the altitude change, and the fifth term is the speed associated with acceleration / deceleration. Represents changes. Since the chart 201 represents the fuel consumption amount as a function of the travel time, the characteristics of the terms of Equation 6 will be described. The first term is a term proportional to the travel time, and the second term is a constant for the travel time because the distance is constant according to the assumption shown in FIG. The third term differs between high-speed driving and general driving, but the proportion of air resistance is small when viewed from the overall fuel consumption. The fourth term is the term of altitude difference, but the assumption as shown in Fig. 2 (a) is that the starting point and destination are the same parallel road, so it is a constant value in terms of travel time, and the fifth term is a constant speed. It is zero by assumption. That is, the first term and the third term may be considered as the influence on the travel time. In addition, the air resistance component of the third term has a small effect on the first term, so only the first term should be considered, but the first term has a positive slope with respect to travel time, but for toll road use It is expected to be small with respect to the inclination, and is as shown in the chart 201.

  As an example, if the fuel consumption per hour is 0.5 [cc / sec] and the fuel unit price is 150 [yen / 1,000 cc], the amount of change with time is 270 [yen / hour]. Therefore, even if the toll road cost line 203 and the fuel cost line 204 alone are considered on the chart 201, the negative slope of the toll road toll line 203 is large, and there is a general road priority that does not use the toll road. The possibility of becoming the lowest cost solution is increased. Also, if the travel time is longer than the fastest travel time on ordinary roads, the toll road charge is constant at 0 and the fuel cost is simply increased and the total toll cost is also increased, as described above. It simply increases with time.

  In the present invention, in order to obtain a route with a sense of “good value” in consideration of the charge and time, the concept of the hourly wage conversion cost line 205 is added, so that both charge and time are added in addition to charge priority / time priority. It is possible to obtain a route in consideration. If the slope of the hourly wage conversion cost line 205 is an inclination that offsets the slope of the assumed toll road charge cost line 203, that is, the slope C of the hourly wage conversion cost line 205 is the aforementioned toll road charge line 203. Assuming that C = −Ct so as to cancel the slope Ct of the vehicle, a solution in which the toll does not change significantly with respect to the travel time as shown in the outline of the toll road + fuel cost + hourly wage conversion cost shown in the line 206 A space can be created. Actually, unlike the assumptions in Formula 1 and Formula 2, the regional characteristics of toll road charges, the distance between using toll roads and using ordinary roads change depending on the entrance and exit of toll roads, and the trend of travel speed is The actual toll road fee, hourly wage conversion cost, and fuel cost are expected to change as shown in line 207 due to differences that vary depending on traffic conditions and traffic conditions. A solution to the charge cost will be found.

  FIG. 14 shows changes in toll road charges, hourly wage conversion costs, and fuel costs when a toll road fee discount system exists. For simplicity, as shown in Fig. 2 (a), from the departure point to the destination, the toll road and the general road are completely parallel, and consider the route when it is free to get on and off the toll road . A chart 1401 expresses each toll cost individually, a line 1403 is a change in toll road to the travel time, a line 204 is a change in the fuel cost to the travel time, and a line 205 is an increase in the travel time of the hourly wage conversion cost. The vertical axis represents the charge, and the horizontal axis the travel time. Note that the lines 204 and 205 are the same as those in FIG. If the toll road discount system is a discrete toll system (for example, the ETC discount system in Japan) such as half price up to a certain distance and normal price after that When the toll road is used within the range of the distance, the toll will change abruptly with respect to the time traveled within the discount range as shown by line 1403. By applying hourly wage conversion cost that offsets the change in toll road usage fee when there is no toll discount as in line 205, the normal toll road fee in line 203 shown by the dotted line and the discount shown in line 1403 The difference between the two charges is the difference between the line 1404 representing the total cost when the charge discount is applied and the line 206 representing the total cost when there is no charge discount, and the toll road charge + fuel cost + hourly wage conversion The cost outline 1404 can exhibit characteristics such that the point at which the charge changes is the minimum solution as shown in the chart 1402. That is, this indicates that an economy route can be calculated in which a toll road is used in a toll discount section and the other sections pass through a general road.

  A method of calculating and using hourly wage conversion cost that offsets fluctuations in charges with respect to the usage time of toll roads based on the concept described above will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing of the toll road vs. hour unit price calculation means 101. The contents of each processing step in the flowchart (steps are described as SXXX in the figure) are as follows.

  S400: In this processing step, a route search area is calculated. The route search area is determined so as to include the starting point and the destination input in advance in the charge cost using route searching means 104. For example, a rectangular area having the starting point and the destination at the apex is displayed on each other. It is good also as an area | region which includes the rear area of the direction to leave | separate. Then, the area code of the area to be searched is output and used for specifying the area in the processing described later.

  S 401: In this processing step, the expected average speeds of the toll road and the general road are read from the set value storage unit 110. Each expected average speed is determined in advance as described above. For example, a speed determined by the system in advance for use in calculating the required time may be used. When a regulated speed is used as a speed determined by the system, it may be a speed obtained by multiplying the regulated speed of each road by a certain ratio (for example, 80%).

  S402: In this processing step, the estimated travel distance of the toll road is calculated as preparation for obtaining an approximate value of the toll road fee in advance before the actual route search. Here, for example, the total planned travel distance is calculated based on the straight distance between the departure point and the destination (before the route search), a distance of a fixed magnification, or a distance obtained by simply adding the latitude and longitude difference between the departure point and the destination. calculate. Furthermore, the map information is managed for each rectangular area in the network map DB, and a straight line connecting the starting point and the destination or its surroundings is determined by determining whether each rectangular area corresponding to the route search area includes a toll road. If you can clearly see a rectangular area where there is no toll road in the area, calculate the estimated distance of the area based on the length of one side of the rectangular area and subtract it from the total expected mileage. Calculate the expected mileage.

  S403: In this processing step, a unit price for the expected travel distance of the toll road is calculated. As this unit price, the representative value of the planned travel area is read out from the value of the unit price per distance of the toll road fee set in the set value storage unit 110. The per-distance unit price of the toll road fee calculated in this process is for calculating the hourly wage conversion cost corresponding to the toll road travel fee, and does not need to be accurate for each road section. This is for determining whether the unit price of the charge is “deal” with respect to the hourly wage conversion cost.

  For example, when it is assumed that the distance is constant as in an intercity highway in Japan, a value specified in advance may be used. When the charge is clearly different according to the distance, the unit price is set according to the charge rule for the distance. For example, if there is a distance reduction system over 100 km (a system in which the distance unit price is discounted after a certain distance), or when a fixed fee is added, the usage fee is increased in consideration of these factors. The unit price per distance may be set by dividing it by the estimated travel distance.

  When there are different toll road fee systems depending on the region, representative values such as the maximum value, average value, and minimum value of the toll road unit price existing in the region may be acquired to calculate the unit price. The toll road charge unit price in the area can be calculated from the map data stored in the network map DB 111 and the distance / charge table 301 of the toll road charge DB 105 as shown in FIG. You may include for every in the map of network map DB111. In addition, if there is a toll road section that has a fixed charge system regardless of distance, the charge unit for the distance can be calculated by averaging the charges for the toll section in the area and dividing it by the total section distance .

  The toll road according to the present invention may include a traffic congestion charging section charged for entering the city center. In this case, by applying a charge rule that generates a fixed charge for each section, the size of the representative length (radius or one side of the area) that represents the size of the area to which traffic congestion charging is applied is set as the planned travel distance, By dividing the charging fee by this representative value, the distance unit price of the fee can be calculated. A route that avoids the congestion charge area can be realized by making the hourly wage conversion cost calculated from the unit price of the charge smaller by the process of FIG. 6 described later.

  FIG. 16 shows a flowchart of a process for calculating a toll road unit price for a distance when there is a distance diminishing system. This process shows one example of the process of S403.

  S1601: In this processing step, the planned travel distance (d) of the toll road obtained in S402 is compared with the distance (ds) at which the charge changes due to the distance reduction system. If the estimated travel distance input (d) is equal to or less than the distance (ds) at which the charge changes (NO), the process proceeds to S1603; otherwise (YES), the process proceeds to S1602.

  S1602: In this processing step, using equation 5, the toll road unit price (αs) of the toll road fee up to ds and the increase in fee (Ti) are calculated from d. The unit price (αs) of the toll road toll is read from the set value storage unit 110. This value may be a constant value or updated by an external medium.

  S1603: In this processing step, αs, ds, and the toll road unit price (αf) of the toll road charge after ds and the increase (Ti) of the charge from the d to the planned travel distance (d) are calculated as the distance (ds ) And the sum of the charges after ds are calculated using Equation 5. The distance unit price (αf) of toll road charges after ds is also read from the set value storage unit 110 in the same manner as αs.

  S1604: In this processing step, a fixed charge that is the basis of the toll road charge is added to the increase in charge (Ti), and the expected charge (To) at distance d is calculated by multiplying this by the tax rate.

  S1605: In this processing step, the unit price (α) for the average of all the sections is calculated from To and d.

  For example, if d = 150 km, ds = 100 km, αs = 24.6 km / yen, αf = 18.45 km / yen, fixed fee = 150 yen, and tax rate = 5%, then α = 25.8 km / yen.

  Returning to the description of the processing flow shown in FIG.

  S404: In this processing step, a unit price Ct for time representing a charge for the travel time of the toll road is calculated from the expected average speeds Va and Vt of the toll road and the general road read from the set value storage unit 110. By substituting the toll road expected average speed Vt and the general road expected average speed Va as the average speeds V1 and V2 of the toll road and the general road according to Equation 4, and substituting the distance unit price α calculated in S403, the toll road It is possible to calculate the unit price Ct of the toll, that is, the slope of the toll road fee with respect to time. The toll unit price Ct of toll road toll calculated in S404 is held in a temporary storage (not shown) as a processing result of the toll road to unit price calculating unit 101.

  FIG. 17 is an example of a process for calculating the unit price per hour (Ct) of the toll road fee. In S1700, the unit price per distance (α) of the toll road fee, the expected average speed (Vt) of the toll road, and the expectation of the general road The average speed (Va) is read from the set value storage unit 110, and as shown in S1701, the unit price Ct of the toll road toll can be calculated from Equation 4. As an example, if Vt = 80 km / hour, Va = 40 km / hour, α = 24.6 km / yen, Ct = −1984 yen / h.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing of the hourly wage conversion unit price calculation means 102.

  S501: In this processing step, the hourly unit price Ct of the toll road fee calculated by the toll road unit price unit 101 is read, and the value obtained by inverting the sign is set as the hourly rate converted unit price C. By using the hourly wage conversion unit price C in which this sign is reversed, the average speed of the toll road is faster than the expected average speed of the toll road set in advance or the toll road price is lower than usual with respect to the prior assumption. In other words, in terms of cost effectiveness, the toll road is given priority in the area where toll road usage is “profitable”, and the average speed of the toll road is slower than the expected average speed of the toll road or the average speed of the ordinary road is expected to be the general road For roads that are faster than the average speed, general roads are given priority.

  FIG. 18 illustrates each of the above cases. As common conditions, the expected average speed of a toll road is 80 km / hour, and the expected average speed of a general road is 40 km / hour. In addition, the unit price α of the toll road toll is 24.6 yen / km. In addition, the traveling distance is 20 km for both toll roads and ordinary roads under the assumption of FIG. The hourly wage conversion unit price C at this time is 2064 yen / hour when the tax rate is set to 5% without considering the fixed fee explained in FIG. 16 from the example used in the explanation of FIG. Case 1 is a toll road traveling speed of 100 km / hour, which is faster than the expected average speed Vt, and Case 3 is a case where the toll road toll in the travel section is halved by the discount system. The total cost of the toll road simply added is smaller than that of the general road, and if the section is simply parallel, the section with the lower cost is selected. On the contrary, Case 2 is a case where the toll road is 60 km / hour later than expected, and Case 4 is a case where the ordinary road is 60 km / hour faster than the assumption. In both cases, the general road has a lower total cost. . That is, the canceling effect of the toll road section at the expected average speed by the hourly wage conversion cost is obtained.

  S502: In this processing step, the hourly wage conversion unit price C is adjusted by the user setting. In the user setting, the hourly wage conversion unit price C is adjusted using a screen as shown in FIG. If the user adjusts to increase the hourly wage conversion unit price, the weight for time increases, and the route search result tends to select more toll road sections. Conversely, if the user adjusts the hourly wage conversion unit price to be reduced, the weight for time is reduced, and more general road sections tend to be selected in the route search result. By providing this adjustment process, settings such as increasing the toll road section or delaying the required time compared to the standard so far can be set according to the user's preference in the form of increase / decrease from the standard value. Further, the value stored in the set value storage unit 110 is stored in a separate nonvolatile storage device in association with the departure point and destination, and this value is called during route search, and then the reference value is set to S501. By using this process, the usage ratio of the toll road section can be compared with the route for the same starting point and destination in the past, so the user can save time and effort to set the reference value by trial and error It will be.

  FIG. 13 illustrates a screen for adjusting the hourly wage conversion unit price C. Since the relationship between the hourly wage conversion unit price C and the toll road unit price Ct is C = −Ct, the hourly wage conversion unit price C can be adjusted by adjusting the toll road unit time unit price Ct. Since the expected average speeds Vt and Va are used to calculate the unit price Ct of the toll road toll, the expected average speeds Vt and Va may be changed. For this reason, the expected average speeds Vt and Va are changed by operating the screen shown in FIG. 1301 is a basic setting screen, 1302 is a detailed setting screen, 1303 is an addition button for a toll road charge per hour unit price Ct, 1304 is a subtraction button for a toll road charge per hour unit price Ct, and 1305 is a transition to a detailed setting screen Button 1306 is a setting value input field of expected average speed of toll road, 1307 is a setting value input field of expected average speed of general road, 1308 is a graph showing a state change accompanying a setting change, 1309 is a transition to a basic setting screen Button.

  A button 1303 increases the absolute value of the unit price per hour in a predetermined unit, and a button 1304 decreases the unit price per hour in a predetermined unit. Specifically, from the relationship between Expression 4 and C and Ct, the hourly rate converted unit price C always takes a positive value, and C = absolute value of unit price per hour | Ct | = α × Vt × Va ÷ (Vt With respect to -Va), the increment / decrement width is set to dC, and the hourly rate converted unit price after the setting change is reset to C ± dC. If the toll road charge system does not change frequently, the distance unit price α of the toll will not change, and the average speed on the general road can be estimated to some degree accurately by using statistical traffic information. Assuming that the average speed does not need to be changed significantly, and that the required time will be shortened and the toll will be high due to the use of toll roads, If the distance unit price α and the expected average average road speed (Va) of the toll road charge are fixed, the expected toll road average speed (Vt) with respect to the hourly unit price corresponding to the newly set hourly wage conversion unit price can be obtained. By increasing the absolute value of the hourly unit price, the hourly wage conversion unit price C increases as compared to the toll road fee, and the economy route outputs a route search result that emphasizes time. Conversely, by reducing the unit price per hour, the hourly wage equivalent unit price is reduced compared to the toll road fee, so the economy route outputs a route search result that emphasizes tolls. For the user, the setting of the economy route can be changed by a simple operation.

A button 1305 shifts the screen to a detailed setting screen 1302. On the detailed setting screen 1302, it is possible to directly set the expected average speeds of toll roads and general roads and directly operate speeds serving as guidelines for prioritizing toll roads. In the graph 1308 representing the state change, the horizontal axis indicates the expected average speed of the toll road, the vertical axis indicates the expected average speed of the general road, and the solid line indicates the boundary between toll and general use in the new setting, and the toll road usage The speed region is shown by shading. Further, a broken line represents a boundary line between toll road use and general road use in the current setting, and a change in the toll road use area due to the setting change is displayed. The boundary line is a characteristic curve representing the functional relationship between Vt and Va when C is constant. Solving the above relation C = | Ct | = α × Vt × Va / (Vt−Va) with respect to Va,
Va = 1 ÷ k × (1-1 / (k × Vt + 1)) where k = α ÷ C (Expression 7)
It becomes a curve. This curve shows a monotonically increasing and upwardly convex shape in the range of Va> 0, Vt> 0. The combination of the expected average speed is expressed as a point in 1308, and the current value and the value that has changed due to the setting change are displayed. Since the hourly wage conversion cost is set so as to balance with the change of the toll road fee to the required time, the curve according to Equation 7 when C is constant is a toll that the sense of use of the toll road is just balanced It can be seen that the combination of the expected average speeds of the road and the general road, that is, the bargain feeling represents the same expected average speed state. In view of this, the graph 1308 allows the user to ascertain areas where priority is given to toll road use in the state of expected average speeds of toll roads and ordinary roads other than the set speed. In other words, by entering the expected average speed of toll road use and general use in the area where the user usually lives, the “profit” in the area where the driving speed changes due to different traffic conditions is paid priority or general priority It becomes possible to judge whether.

  With this setting screen, the user can easily adjust parameters, and can predict toll road use and general use according to speed.

  As described above, the processes in FIGS. 3 to 5 are pre-processes for performing the minimum fee cost route search. Hereinafter, the minimum cost cost route search in the fee cost utilization route search means 104 will be described with reference to FIGS. 19 and 20.

  FIG. 19 shows a flowchart of the minimum fee cost route search process, and FIG. 20 shows the data structure of node data constituting the node group used in the route search. FIG. 19 shows the processing flow of the Dijkstra method known as a general method of route search. As shown in FIG. 20, the node arrival time and the toll road entrance node are included, and these data are updated. This makes it possible to calculate the charge cost by the feature to realize the charge cost search. Hereinafter, the flowchart of FIG. 19 will be described, and the data structure of FIG. 20 will be described as necessary.

  S1900: In this processing step, the departure point and destination input to the route search unit 100 are fetched and set for route search.

  S1901: In this processing step, a node group included in the route search area calculated in S400de from the network map DB 111 is read. The node group is expressed by a data structure shown in the table 2000 of FIG. “Node number” is a number that uniquely determines the node, “Confirmation flag” is a flag indicating whether or not the minimum cost route to the node has been confirmed, “Cost” is the cost required to reach the node, and is the minimum Toll cost is equivalent to toll cost in route search. The “previous node number” represents the route to the current node represented by this node number, and the “node arrival time” represents the arrival time of the current node calculated by integrating the link travel time, “paid entrance node” "Is the node number representing the nearest entrance node that has passed to the current node," Distance from toll entrance "is the accumulated distance from that toll entrance node, and" Toll entrance time "is the toll entrance node Represents the transit time of. At the time of processing in S1901, only the node numbers are read for all the nodes in the route search range, and other values are undefined.

  S1902: In this processing step, the node at the departure point is detected from the node group, and the “cost” of the node is set to zero. When a value is determined for “cost”, the node becomes a candidate node, and becomes a target node for which the minimum cost is calculated. In this process, the departure time is substituted as the “node arrival time” of the departure node.

  S1903: In this processing step, a candidate node having a minimum cost is extracted from the candidate node group represented by the candidate node 2001. Since the extracted node is a node whose minimum cost path is determined by the principle of Dijkstra method, the “confirmation flag” is made valid as in the confirmation node 2002, and the target of the cost calculation candidate from the next time as one of the confirmed nodes. Get out.

  S1904: In this processing step, it is determined whether or not the node determined as the confirmed node in S1903 is a destination node. If this confirmed node is the destination node, the minimum cost route to the destination has been confirmed, so the process proceeds to S1909 and the search process is terminated. If the confirmed node is not the destination node, the process proceeds to S1905.

  S1905: In this processing step, a link group connected to the confirmed node is taken out. Among these, the link end node, that is, the link group in which the next node is not a definite node is set as a target of the loop processing from S1906.

  S1906: In this processing step, loop processing is performed for the number of connected links extracted in S1905.

  S1907: In this processing step, the link unit processing unit 106 calculates a charge cost. This is a process of calculating the cost to the link end node by calculating the link cost cost.

  S1908: In this processing step, the “cost” is updated with the end node of the link as a candidate node. When there is a link fee cost that has already been calculated, updating is performed only when the cost calculated in this processing step is smaller. The node number of the start node of the link, that is, the node number of the confirmed node is set in the immediately preceding node number, and the “node arrival time” is updated by setting a value obtained by adding the link travel time to the arrival time of the confirmed node. At the same time, if the end node is an entrance node of a toll road, a new end node is set as the “pay entrance node”, the arrival time of the end node is set as the “pay entrance passage time”, The “mileage” is also reset to “0”. If the end node is not the entrance node of the toll road, copy the values of the “pay entrance node” and “paid entrance passage time” in the node data of the start node of the link, that is, the fixed node, A value obtained by adding the link length is set in the “distance” to update the distance from the entrance. Thus, the toll road fee can be calculated by the toll rule or toll road fee DB because the toll road entrance, the distance from the toll road entrance, and the passage time of the toll road entrance are known at all candidate nodes.

  After performing the loop process for all the connected link groups, the process proceeds again to S1903.

  S1909: In this processing step, “previous node” is sequentially traced from the destination, and a confirmed node string up to the departure point is output as a route search result.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing details of processing for individual links in the link unit processing unit 106. The processing in the multiple fee cost adding means 103 corresponds to the processing in S601 and S609, the processing in the link cost cost calculating means 107 corresponds to the processing in S602 to S606, and the processing in the link hourly wage conversion cost calculating means 108 corresponds to the processing in S608.

S601: In this processing step, if no value is set for the “cost” of the link to be processed, the link fee cost is initialized and set to “0”. Here, the link fee cost represents a fee cost for each link (a unit constituting a network used when searching for a route, specifically, a section expressed between intersections). Unless otherwise noted, in the following processing steps:
Link fee cost = Link cost cost + Link hourly wage conversion cost + Link fuel cost
... (Formula 8)
Suppose that

  S602 to S606 are processing steps for calculating the link cost cost.

  S602: In this processing step, it is determined whether there is a toll gate in the link or at the end of the link, and branch processing is performed based on the result. This is because the link cost is added at the place where the fee is paid. If YES, the process proceeds to S603, and if NO, the link cost cost = 0 and the process proceeds to S608.

  S603: In this processing step, the node number corresponding to the entrance inter is read from the “paid entrance node” information in the node data of the link start end node. In other words, if the starting point of the route search is on a general road, it will always pass through the entrance of the toll road under the route search assumption, so the node of the confirmed node (link start side node) that has memorized the nearest entrance inter beforehand The toll road entrance node of data 2002 is used. If the departure point is already on a toll road, there may be no immediate entrance interchange. At this time, when the entrance interchange that has actually passed can be obtained by, for example, interlocking with the ETC on-vehicle device or user input, the information on the entrance interchange is read as information on the toll road entrance. Alternatively, it is possible to search for an interchange immediately before the departure point from the network map DB 111 and substitute it as an entrance interchange.

  S604: In this processing step, toll road fee information for the section from the entrance interchange to this link is extracted from the toll road fee DB 105. The toll road fee DB 105 holds a distance / fee table 301 as shown in FIG. 3 as electronic data. The distance / fee table 301 may be stored for each vehicle type having a different fee system, and may be taken out according to the type of vehicle. The distance / charge table 301 has a structure in which a charge is uniquely determined by a combination of the entrance inter group 302 and the exit inter group 303. The distance may be held together with the charge between the inter.

  S605: In this processing step, branch processing is performed depending on whether discount rules are applied. If yes, then continue with S606, otherwise continue with S607. Whether or not the discount rule is applied depends on whether the current link is “travel distance from toll entrance”, “pay entrance time”, and “node arrival time” included in the node data of the confirmed node 2002 shown in FIG. The passage time of the exit interchange, to which the link travel time is added, is read, and it is determined whether the discount rule conformity condition is satisfied. For example, when determining whether to apply a discount based on the passage time of the entrance interchange or the passage time of the exit interchange, use one of the arrival time of the node, the expected passage time of the entrance interchange, or the expected passage time of the exit interchange. If the discount conditions are not met at any time, the discount rule is not applied. When the discount application conditions change depending on the use of a specific device, for example, the presence or absence of an ETC in-vehicle device, the determination is made based on the presence or absence of connection to the ETC device or the connection setting of the user. If the discount application conditions differ depending on the distance or section, the presence / absence of a discount is determined according to the conditions. It is assumed that the discount rules are stored in the toll road fee DB 105.

  S606: In this processing step, discount rules are applied to change the toll road fee. For example, if there is a rule such as half price if the discount rule condition is satisfied, the toll road charge obtained from the distance / charge table 301 is set to half price. Alternatively, the discounted toll road fee may be held in the distance / fare table 301.

  S608: In this processing step, a link hourly wage conversion cost is calculated. This is obtained by the following equation (9).

    Link hourly wage conversion cost = hourly wage conversion unit price C x link travel time (Equation 9)

  As the hourly wage conversion unit price C, the result calculated by the hourly wage conversion unit price calculation means 102 is used. In addition to the fixed value included in the road network data of the network map DB 111, the link travel time is further provided with a value considering the real-time traffic information acquired from the outside and a link speed DB 707 for each time zone shown in FIG. A value calculated based on the link speed data read from the speed DB 707 may be used. As shown in FIG. 10, the link speed DB 707 for each time zone is managed for each area with a mesh number (number representing a region on the map by latitude and longitude) 1001. As shown by a link speed 1002, statistical speed data of a link that changes every day type such as weekdays and holidays and every time zone is held. In this case, the expected toll road average speed and the average expected average road speed using the speed data of the link speed DB 707 for each time zone are set in the set value storage unit 110, and the toll road-to-hour unit price calculation means 101 sets the toll road to hour unit price calculation means 101. The unit price of the toll road toll is calculated using the expected average speed of the road and the expected average speed of the general road.

S609: In this processing step, the link fuel cost is added to the already obtained link cost cost and link hourly wage conversion cost in accordance with Equation 8, and set to “cost” of the node data. That is, at the time of S609, link fee cost = link cost cost + link hourly wage conversion cost + link fuel cost. In calculating the link fuel cost, a generally known method is used. For example, using Equation 6,
Link fuel consumption = Fc × link travel time + Cf × link length + air resistance + altitude change + speed change link fuel cost = fuel unit price × link fuel consumption Since the air resistance is determined by the traveling speed, a link speed that can be calculated from the link length and the link travel time may be used. The altitude change can be calculated if the map network DB 111 includes altitude data for each link or includes a value necessary for estimation. For the speed change, the acceleration frequency may be estimated from the traveling speed. The fuel unit price may be acquired by using a preset value set in the preset value storage unit 110 or by accessing external information.

  2 and FIG. 14 by executing the route search with the minimum fee cost by the fee cost utilization route searching means 104 using the route search cost determining method of the present invention described in FIGS. Economy route can be calculated. As a result, the user can acquire a “profitable” route in consideration of both time and fee without complicated settings. In addition, since the system uses a route search cost determination method that is different for both toll road priority and general road priority, the user can acquire a different route.

  Further, by using the time zone link speed DB 707, it is possible to obtain a different economy route for each time zone in consideration of the charge and time.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a modification of the route search unit in the route search device using the present invention. In addition to the configuration of FIG. 1, rate rule update means 705 for updating the rate calculation rule according to the rate rule profile 706 acquired from the outside is added. With this addition, the distance unit price of the toll road fee is also calculated using the fee rule profile 706. The link cost cost calculation means 717 calculates the link cost cost of the toll road based on the charge rule profile 706. The minimum toll cost route calculated by the configuration of FIG. 7 is changed by the toll rule updating unit 705 in the toll road to unit price for toll road to unit time unit 101 and the toll road cost for the plurality of toll cost adding unit 103. It is possible to provide an economy route even if the toll road fee system is changed or discount rules are changed. Hereinafter, details of the processing of FIG. 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10 and FIG.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the processing of the charge rule update unit 705. Hereinafter, the processing steps will be described.

  S801: In this processing step, the charge rule profile 706 is read. The charge rule profile 706 is information obtained from outside the route search apparatus, and the content is updated by communication, for example. Or you may update by a user setting. An example of data stored in the charge rule profile 706 is shown in FIG. Data stored in the charge rule profile is expressed in a format such as data 1500, and takes the form of describing change of charge parameters, change contents of charge calculation rules, and change contents of discount rules as data. 1501 and 1502 are examples of fee parameter change, 1503 is a fee calculation rule change, and 1504 is a discount rule change. The charge parameter change 1501 is an example of changing the setting of the unit price for the distance, that is, the unit price α for the toll road, assuming that the target area is the national highway and the target period is not specified. When there is a change in the charge rule, the description of the rule changed by the toll road vs. hour unit price calculation means 101 and the link cost cost calculation means 717 is applied. For example, for the change of 1501, the toll road-to-hour unit price calculation means 101 uses the value described in “[Fee unit price]” of the toll parameter change 1501 as the distance unit price α of the toll road charge in the target area. Further, the usage method in the link cost cost calculation means 717 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  The charge parameter change 1502 is an example in which a specific toll road and a target period are designated as the target area and the setting of the charge unit price for the distance is changed. Although the charge parameter change mentioned here describes the change of the charge unit price, the distance / charge table data of toll roads between individual inters may be described. Further, as the charge parameter change, a change in the distance length, the discount rate, etc., in which the distance reduction system is changed may be described. When applying the rules, the location and time conditions are changed based on the descriptions of “[Target Area]” and “[Target Period]”. Change the calculation parameters.

  The charge calculation rule change 1503 is data for specifying the target area and changing the charge system from the uniform charge system to the distance-based system. As the fee calculation rule change, a fee collection system for each small section may be described in “[Fee System]”. The discount rule change 1504 is an example in which a rule change regarding discounts such as a target area, a target period, a target time zone, a target vehicle, a target condition, a discount rate is described. Regarding the change of the discount rule, the link cost cost calculation means 717 applies the rule. Details will be described later with reference to FIG.

  S802: In this processing step, the charge parameter is updated. By the charge parameter update process, various charge parameters used for the unit price α for distance to be used in the toll road unit price calculation means 101 and the discount rate for decreasing the distance are changed. Further, when the link cost cost calculation means 717 calculates the link cost cost, the charge parameter is changed.

  S803: In this processing step, the charge rule is updated. The toll rule itself is used by the toll road-to-hour unit price calculating unit 101 and the link cost cost calculating unit 717, and is a process of changing the toll rule previously installed in the processing process according to the toll rule profile 706.

  S804: In this processing step, the discount rule is updated. The parameter change of the discount rule used by the toll road versus unit price calculation means 101 and the link cost cost calculation means 717 and the discount rule itself are changed. Similarly to the update of the charge rule, the change of the discount rule is a process of changing the discount rule previously installed in the process according to the charge rule profile 706.

  FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of processing in the link unit processing unit 716 including the link cost cost calculation means 717.

  In this process, even when there is no toll road fee DB, it is an example showing a method for calculating tolls for a toll road section only according to toll rules. Since the route search itself of the toll cost utilization route searching means 104 is the same as in the first embodiment, the corresponding toll road entrance, distance, and passage time are known at all candidate nodes, and the toll road fee is calculated according to the toll rules. It becomes possible. Hereinafter, the processing steps will be described.

  S901: Same as S601 in FIG.

  S902: This processing step also performs a branching process similar to S602 in FIG. If yes, then continue with S903, otherwise continue with S908.

  S903: Same as S603 in FIG.

  S904: In this processing step, the toll road charge for the section from the entrance interchange to this link is calculated based on the charge rule. In S604 of FIG. 6, the pre-calculated fee data is extracted from the toll road fee DB, but here the toll road fee is calculated based on the fee rule. For example, if the distance from the entrance interchange is within the applicable range of the distance diminishing rule, the distance unit price for the corresponding section is calculated using the distance diminishing rule, and the total link length of the target link is multiplied by the unit distance unit based on the distance decrementing rule. The toll road charge for the section corresponding to the distance reduction rule can be calculated. In addition, when calculating the link cost cost, a pre-calculated toll road fee DB is added to the toll road fee by adding an amount corresponding to the basic fee to the link cost cost based on the distance unit price between the entrance and the exit. The same value as the distance / price table 301 is set.

  S905: Same as S605 in FIG.

S906: Discount rules are applied in this processing step. If there are multiple discount rules and the applicable sections differ, the discount rule with the smallest value is applied to each link on the toll road that forms the section from the entrance interchange to the corresponding exit interchange. The toll road charge is calculated, and the point at which the discount rule is changed, or when the time passes, the process of restoring the discount that was accumulated to the link is performed. For example,
If you travel across the discount rule 1: 00: 00-4: 00, if you travel through the entrance or exit at 22: 00-6: 00, and the travel distance is within 100km If there are two discount rules, such as 5 discounts within the section, discount rule 2 with a high discount rate is applied, and the charge for the toll road section within 100 km from the toll road entrance interchange included in the node data of the confirmed node is 5 discounts Calculate with The discount rule 1 is applied when the distance exceeds 100 km, and the difference in accumulated charges within the past 100 km, which is the difference, is added to the toll road fee. Furthermore, if it is found that the candidate node does not satisfy the time zone of discount rule 1 at the exit node corresponding to the exit interchange of the toll road, the cumulative charge difference for the toll road section when no discount is applied and when discount rule 1 is applied is calculated. Add to toll road charges.

  S907: In this processing step, the link speed is read from the link speed DB 707 for each time zone. Or link speed data is acquired from real-time traffic information acquired from the outside. Then, the link travel time is calculated from the link speed and the link speed in the time zone corresponding to the arrival time of the confirmed node. If the link travel time is available from the real-time traffic information, the value is used.

  S908: Same as S608 in FIG. The link travel time read in S907 is used.

  S909: Same as S609 in FIG. If travel time and speed are required to calculate the fuel cost, the link travel time obtained in S907 is used.

  By the route search cost determination method described above, the route search using the minimum cost cost is performed by the fee cost utilization route search means 104, and the economy routes shown in FIGS. 2 and 14 that change depending on the time zone and traffic conditions are calculated. can do. By providing the charge rule update means, the user can enjoy a “deal” route through the economy route even when changing the charge rule.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a navigation apparatus using the present invention. Although FIG. 11 shows a navigation device installed in an automobile, it may be software installed in a mobile phone. Further, instead of the position detection means by the GPS receiver 1107, software that operates on a normal personal computer may be used as long as it has means for inputting the departure place. The navigation apparatus will be described below with reference to FIG.

  Reference numeral 1103 denotes a speaker, 1104 denotes a navigation device, 1105 denotes a display display, and 1108 denotes a vehicle equipped with the navigation device. Reference numerals 100, 113, 1110, and 1112 denote software that operates on a CPU (not shown) inside the navigation apparatus 1104.

  The traffic information reception unit 1110 is responsible for processing to interpret and pass the real-time traffic information received by the traffic information receiver 1106 in a form that can be used by the route search unit 100.

  As described in the first or second embodiment, the route search unit 100 is responsible for the economy route search and the conventional pay priority and general priority route search processing.

  The comparison presentation unit 1112 receives the route search result of the economy route output from the route search unit 100, and performs processing for performing route guidance by screen display or voice.

  The setting input unit 113 presents a setting change screen to the user as described above, has an interface for setting input, saves the setting, and performs various changes.

  The example of FIG. 11 is a configuration in which the route search cost determination method is performed inside the navigation device, but a center for determining the route search cost is installed outside the navigation device, and the link fee cost obtained by communication from there is determined as the navigation device. You may make it acquire to.

  FIG. 12 shows screen guidance of the comparison and presentation unit 1112 and screen transitions during route search. In the screen transition, after setting a destination on a destination setting screen (not shown), the screen transitions to the map display screen 1201 and the destination mark 1206 is displayed on the map display 1204 together with the vehicle position mark 1205. Here, the state is changed to a route searching state by depressing the multiple route search button 1203, and after the route search is completed, the state is changed to the comparison display screen 1202. Then, route guidance starts based on the route selected on the comparison display screen 1202. In the figure, 1207 to 1209 represent the distance of the search result route, the required time, the total fee (toll road fee + fuel cost) and the toll road fee for each search condition. Economy route, 1209 represents a general priority route. Reference numerals 1210 to 1212 denote search result paths based on various search conditions shown on the map, where 1210 represents a pay priority route, 1211 represents an economy route, and 1212 represents a general priority route. Reference numeral 1213 denotes a toll road entrance inter, 1214 denotes an exit inter on the toll priority route, and 1215 denotes an exit inter on the economy route. By using the route search cost determination method according to the present invention, as shown in the example shown in 1208, an economy route different from both pay priority and general priority can be output. In other words, an economy route can be obtained that is cheaper than the toll-priced toll road charge but takes more time.

  By the comparative presentation as shown in FIG. 12, the user can quantitatively understand the difference between the economy route and the conventional route. In addition, not only the display but also the voice, even if the presentation that expresses the difference such as “Economy route takes an extra 20 minutes compared to the paid priority route, the fee is 2200 yen” Good.

  FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a navigation device and peripheral systems that are connected by communication with a center having a route search function according to the present invention and acquire route search results. Hereinafter, the difference from the third embodiment shown in FIG. 11 will be mainly described.

  2104 is a navigation device, and 2106 is a communication device for connecting to the center. Reference numerals 113, 1112, 2107, and 2108 denote software inside the navigation device 2104. 2112 is a center having a route search function according to the present invention, 2109 is a communication response unit that receives and responds to communication from navigation, and 2110 is a traffic information reception unit that is connected to the traffic information center 1101 and acquires real-time traffic information. Reference numeral 2111 denotes the real-time traffic information acquired by the traffic information receiving unit 2110 in response to the route search request received from the navigation device 2104 received by the communication response unit 2109, the link speed DB 707 by time zone, and the toll road fee DB 105 based on the charge cost. It is a route search part corresponding to the route search part 100 of FIG. 11 which performs a route search.

  As in the third embodiment, the setting input unit 113 presents a setting change screen to the user, has an interface for setting input, saves the setting, and makes various changes.

  A departure / destination setting unit 2107 sets a departure point and a destination in route search. The starting point is determined using the current position acquired by the GPS receiver 1107, and the destination is determined by the user's designation.

  The communication processing unit 2108 calculates the expected average speed of the toll road and the expected average speed of the general road, or hourly wage conversion necessary for calculating the link hourly wage conversion cost determined by the setting input unit 113 together with the request for searching the toll cost utilization route to the center. The unit price is sent to the center as a set value. In addition, information on the starting point and destination necessary for route search is transmitted to the center. The starting point and destination are transmitted in the form of latitude and longitude. On the center side, the route search unit 2111 performs a charge cost use route search in the same manner as the route search unit 100 of FIG. 11 according to the departure point, destination, and set value from the navigation device 2104 received by the communication response unit 2109. The route search result is output as an economy route. When the received set values are the expected toll road average speed and the average expected average road speed, it is used as an input to the toll road vs. hour unit price calculation means 101. If the received setting is the hourly wage converted unit price, the processing of the toll road vs. hour unit price calculating unit 101 and the hourly rate converted unit price calculating unit 102 is not performed, and the link hourly hourly converted cost is calculated using the given hourly hourly converted unit price. To do. The route search unit 2111 also performs route search for comparison with the search result of the economy route. The comparison route may include the shortest time route search result when using traffic information.

  The communication processing unit 2108 receives the route search result of the economy route using the charge cost and the route search result for comparison from the center side. The route search result includes the required time of the route, distance, fee, toll road fee, fuel cost, and also includes a format that indicates the shape of the route, for example, a latitude and longitude sequence.

  Similar to the third embodiment, the comparison / presentation unit 1112 performs processing for displaying the search result of the economy route on the screen or performing guidance by voice.

  With the configuration of FIG. 21, the center side can provide a toll road fee DB and perform a toll fee utilization route search, so that the latest fee data and discount rules can be easily reflected.

  The present invention relates to a route search method, and is mainly used as part of software. It can also be used as a navigation device, and can be used as a route guidance function by route search.

100 Route Search Unit 101 Toll Road Vs Unit Price Unit 102 Hourly Wage Conversion Unit Price Unit 103 Multiple Fee Cost Adder 705 Rate Rule Update Unit 1000 Time Zone Link Speed DB
1104 Navigation device

Claims (8)

In the route search method using the link fee cost as the route search cost,
Calculate the toll road fee / hour unit price when using the toll road from the expected average speed of the toll road, the expected average speed of the general road and the toll road to distance unit price,
Calculate the hourly wage equivalent unit price that is the unit price for the required time from the toll road unit price per hour,
Calculate the toll road link cost cost based on at least one of the toll calculation rules or toll road toll table,
Calculate the link hourly wage conversion cost from the link travel time and the hourly wage conversion unit price,
A route search method characterized by calculating a link fee cost obtained by adding a link cost cost and an hourly wage conversion cost, and performing a route search that minimizes the link fee cost.   The route search method according to claim 1, wherein the link travel time is calculated based on at least one of real-time traffic information or a link speed database for each time zone.   2. The route search method according to claim 1, further comprising adding a fuel cost per link to the link fee cost.   The route search method according to claim 1, wherein the charge rule for updating the charge calculation rule is updated by information from outside.   5. A navigation apparatus comprising route search means for performing route search processing using a link fee cost calculated using the route search method according to claim 1. The navigation device according to claim 5, wherein
A navigation device comprising setting input means for changing an expected traveling speed of a toll road and an expected traveling speed of a general road, or an hourly wage conversion unit price according to a user setting.   A center provided with route search means for performing route search processing using the link fee cost calculated using the route search method according to claim 1 to 4 is connected by communication, and a route search result is obtained from the center. A navigation device characterized by acquiring. The navigation device according to claim 7,
There is a setting input means for changing the expected traveling speed of the toll road and the expected traveling speed of the ordinary road, or the hourly wage conversion unit price according to the setting of the user, and the changed expected driving speed of the toll road and the expected traveling speed of the ordinary road or the hourly wage A navigation device, wherein the converted unit price is transmitted to the center by communication.

Images